Mountaineers down Thunder 69-62

Thursday, February, 28, 2013 - 8:08:20 PM

Mountaineers down Thunder 69-62

Mohawk battles Seneca Sting tonight in semi-finals

The defending national champion Mohawk College Mountaineers men’s basketball team scored 23 fourth quarter points en rote to a 69-62 come -from-behind victory over the Algonquin Thunder in OCAA quarter-final action Thursday night.

“We expected it to be a tough first game and I thought we showed a ton of resilience in coming back from a 12 point third quarter deficit,” said Mountaineers’ head coach Brian Jonker. “The guys never got down and never believed we wouldn’t come back.”

Algonquin led the game 41-36 at the half and 48-46 after three quarters before the Mountaineers came back in the final frame.

CCAA all-Canadian and OCAA West Division first all-star Manny Campbell scored 24 points, while another first team all-star, Andrew Cicuttini, had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the Mountaineers, who trailed 41-36 at half time.

Romaine Lawrence had 17 points for Algonquin, while Thunder teammate Garnet Blais scored 16 and added 10 rebounds.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Mountaineers as they meet the host Seneca Sting in the semi-finals of the tonight (Friday).

The Sting downed Humber 89-77 in their quarter final match.

“We are in for another tough one tonight against Seneca on their home floor,” said Jonker. “I hope our experience continues to show through. It should be a great game.”

The contest tips off at 8 p.m.

Fanshawe plays Sheridan in the other sem-final at 6 p.m.

The games are being played at Seneca’s Newnham campus gymnasium in Toronto and are being streamed via: http://www.senecacollege.ca/ocaa